Rear-sight construction for firearms



www n 2aB-258 mire 291739701 SR c. G. svyEBlLlus 2,173,701

. REAR-SIGHT CONSTRGTION FOR FIREARIS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 19, 1939.

Filed March l0, 1938 as. utuwit i HHJAL iNSI RUMEN'I'S.

33. GEOMETRlCAL INSTRUMENTS.

Sept. 19, 1939.

C. G. SWEBILIUS REAR- SIGHT CONSTRUCTION FOR FIREARS Filed March 10, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JO. UCUWIEIHHJHL INOIHUIVHLN 10| lso Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES Vl i PATENT OFFICE REAR-SIGHT CONSTRUCTION FOR FIREARMS Carl G. Swebilius, Hamden, Conn., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Western Cartridge Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March 10, 1938, Serial No. 194,987

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in rear-sight constructions and more particularly to vertically-adjustable rear-sight constructions for rearms, such for instance as ries and the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior rear-sight construction for firearms which is characterized by both compactnessI and ruggedness of construction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior rear-sight construction for rearms wherein the sight proper may be rigidly supported and not unduly projected above the barrel-unit of the firearm when in its lowered position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior rear-sight construction for fire-arms wherein the means for vertically adjusting the sight proper is most conveniently located at the rear of the barrel-unit and in a position for rotation substantially concentrically therewith.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a lire-arm provided with the improved rear-sight construction of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken view in side elevation of the rear portion of the receiver, showing the rear sight installed thereon;

Fig. 3 is a view in rear-end elevation of the structure of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the structure shown in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical central-longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a similar view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a central horizontal sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line lll-I0 of Fig. 3;

Fig. l1 is a perspective view of the sight-body or frame;

Fig. 12 is a similar view of the elevation-slide;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the elevationadjusting wheel;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the elevationadjusting wheel detent-or click-spring;

Fig. 15 is a similar View of the windage-adjustment screw detent-or click-spring; and

Fig. 16 is a, broken perspective view of the rear portion of the receiver of the firearm.

The particular firearm structure herein chosen for the illustration of the present invention includes a stock-unit 20 upon the upper portion of which is mounted, in any suitable manner, a barrel-unit, generally designated by the reference character 2l, and including a tube-like receiver or frame 22 and a barrel proper 23, either formed integrally with each other or rigidly connected together so as to form a unit.

The particular character of the mechanism per se contained within the receiver or frame 22 forms no essential feature of the present invention, but as shown (Fig. 5), the said frame 22 is formed with a bolt-receiving recess 24 which accommodates a reciprocating breech-bolt 25 visible through a longitudinal passage 26 formed in the side-wall of the said receiver, as shown in Fig. 1. The said breech-bolt 25 is provided with an operating-handle 21 which extends outwardly through the passage 26, just referred to.

The receiver 22 is formed with a relativelythick rear end-wall 28 which is formed with a threaded bore or passage 29 extending coaxially of the said receiver 22 and hence, also, of the barrel 23. The rear face of the end-wall 28 of the receiver 22 is formed with a vertically-extending stabilizing-groove 30 which is intersected by the rear end of the bore or passage 29 and has opposed side-walls 3|-3I for the purpose as will hereinafter appear.

Mounted in the stabilizing-groove 30 above described in the rear end of the receiver 22 is a sight-body or frame generally designated by the reference character 32 and of U-shaped form (see Fig. 11). The said sight-body or frame 32 may be conveniently formed of sheet-metal and comprises complemental front and rear walls 33 and 34 which are spaced apart in parallelism by an integral bottom wall 35 so as to provide therebetween a vertically-extending and upwardlyopening guideway 35a for the reception of other elements of the sight-structure, as will hereinafter appear.

The respective front and rear Walls 33 and 34 of the sight-body 32 are respectively provided with aligned passages 31 and 36 through which is adapted to extend the exteriorly-threaded shank 38 of a combined attaching-and-clamping screw generally designated by the reference character 39. The said screw 39 includes, in addition to the threaded shank 38 just referred to, a peripherally-knurled head-portion 40 located to the rear of the rear wall 34 of the sight-body or frame 32. The portion 4I of the shank 38 of the screw 39 located immediately adjacent the head-portion 40 is left unthreaded and smooth as shown, so as to provide a bearing upon which may turn a flat disk-like elevation-adjusting wheel 42 located in the said guideway 35a in the sight-body 32 and normally bearing against the forward face of the rear wall 34 of the said body.

The elevation-adjusting wheel 42 has its periphery serrated to provide a convenient fingergrip, which serrations result in the formation of an annular series of detent-notches 42a adapted to sequentially engage with a V-shaped detentboss 43 formed midway the length of the upper arm 44 of an elevation-adjusting wheel detentspring generally designated by the reference character 45. The( said detent-spring, as is shown particularly well in Figs. 14 and 6, also includes a finger 46 formed at the free end of and reversely-bent from the said arm 44. The finger 46 bears against the upper surface of the lower arm 41 of the said spring 45 and acts through the intermediary of the V-shaped boss 43 and the detent-notches 42a of the wheel 42 to yieldingly hold the said wheel in various positions of adjustment.

The elevation-adjusting wheel detent-spring 45 above referred to is accommodated in the lower portion of the guideway 35a in the sight-body or frame 32 in a position intermediate the underside of the wheel 42 and the upper face of the bottom-wall 35 of the said body. For the purpose of preventing the lengthwise displacement of the detent-spring 45, the lower arm 4l thereof is provided with an integral downwardly-bent anchoring-finger 48 which fits into a narrow transverse slot 49 formed mainly in the bottom-wall 35 of the said sight-body or frame 32.

For the purpose of providing for the raising and lowering of a sight-structure, as will hereinafter be described, the elevation-adjusting wheel 42 (see Fig. 6) is provided with a spiral-shaped actuating-slot 50 into which projects an actuating-pin 5| rearwardly projecting from the lower end of an elevation-slide 52 which may be readily and economically formed of sheet-metal. The

said elevation-slide, as is clearly shown in Fig. 12,

comprises a vertically-extending tang 53 which is provided on each of its respective opposite sides with a vertically-extending guide-flange 54. The guide-fianges 54-54 receive between them the front-wall portion 33 of the sight-body or frame 32 so as to effect the precise vertical guidance of the elevation-slide 52 as a whole, with respect to the sight-body 32 andthe remainder of the firearm structure. The guide-flanges 54-54 of the tang 53 of the elevation-slide 52 may also bear against the opposed side-walls 3l-3l of the stabilizing-groove 30 in the rear end of the barrelunit. For the purpose of clearing the shank 38 of the mounting-screw 39, to thus permit the vertical movement of the elevation-slide 52, the tang-portion 53 of the said slide is provided with a vertically-extending clearance-slot 55, as is particularly well shown in Fig. 12.

Extending forwardly from the upper end of the tang 53 of the elevation-slide 52 is a horizontal arm 56 which is formed integral with the said tang and which is provided laterally atv each of its opposite sides with complemental spacedapart vertical fingers 51 and 58. Extending horizontally between the two lingers 51 and 58, just referred to, is a pair of spaced-apart guide-rods 59-59 (see Fig. 9) which may be mounted in the said arms in any suitable manner such, for instance, as by threading the said rods at either or both of their respective opposite ends into the said fingers.

Located intermediate the upstanding fingers 51 and 58 of the elevation-slide 52 is a windageslide 60 which is provided with two transverse bearing-passages 6I-6I receiving the guide-rods 59-59, upon which latter the said windage-slide 60 is adjustable transversely of the firearm by means of a windage-adjusting screw, generally designated by the reference character 62. The said screw 62 includes, in the main, a knurled head-portion 63 and an externally-threaded shank 64, which latter fits into a threaded bore 65 formed in the windage-slide 60 directly intermediate and parallel with the bearing-passages 6I-6I therein. The shank 64 of the screw 62 is formed with an integral stop-collar 66 which bears against the inner face of the bifurcated finger 58 of the elevation-slide 52 under the tension of a substantially-U-shaped sheet-metal windage-adjustment screw detent-spring, generally designated by the reference character 61 (see Fig. 15). The portion of the shank 64 of the adjusting-screw lying intermediate the stopcollar 66 and the inner face of the head-portion 63 lits into an upwardly-opening notch 68 formed in the finger 58 which upstands from the windage-slide 52.

The windage-adjustment datent-spring 61, above referred to, has each of its spaced-apart arms 69-69 struck up to form a detent-boss 10 adapted to enter suitable V-shaped detentnotches 1| formed in the inner face of the headportion 63 of the windage-adjusting screw 62 for the purpose of yieldably holding the said screw in various positions of adjustment. As is clearly shown in the drawings, the detent-spring 61 is interposed between the inner face of the headportion 63 of the said adjusting-screw 62 and the outer face of the bifurcated finger 58 of the elevation-slide 52, so as to exert a constant endwise tension on the said screw to maintain its stopcollar 66 in engagement with the inner face of the said finger 58. Preferably and a`s shown, the detent-spring 61 is provided with a pointed outwardly-projecting indicator-finger 'l2 which is adapted to act in conjunction with suitable indicia on the periphery of the reduced inner portion of the head-portion 63 of the adjustingscrew 62.

The windage-slide 68 also bears, as is shown particularly well, in Fig. 5 upon the upper face of the arm 56 of the elevation-slide 52 and is provided in its upper portion with a passage 13 extending in parallelism with the receiver 22 and hence also with the barrel 23. Substantially midway of its length, the passage 13 is formed with an internal annular stop-shoulder 14 against which bears the forward end of the tubular shank 15 of a peep-sight member generally designated by the reference character 16 and having the usual head-portion 11 provided with a concave rear face 18 having a central sight-opening 19. The said sight-opening 19 is coaxial with a passage 88 through the shank 15 and also coaxial with the passage 13 in the windage-slide 60. As shown in the accompanying drawings the portion of the passage 13 located to the rear of the stop-shoulder 14 therein is internally threaded to receive the externally-threaded forward portion of the tubular shank 'l5 of the peep-sight member 16, so that the said peep-sight member may be conveniently removed and replaced.

Should it be desired to alter the vertical position of the peep-sight member 16 to compensate for changes in range or for any other reason, the said peep-sight member may be moved vertically by rotating the elevation-adjusting wheel 42 after the combined attaching-and-clamping screw 39 has been slightly loosened to release the clamping action of the front and rear wall portions 33 and 34 of the sight-body or frame 32, from both the said wheel 42 and the elevation slide 52. In this connection and as before pointed out, the screw 39 by being turned tightly home in its threaded socket 29 in the rear wall 28 of the receiver 22, will bind the elements 42 and 52 between the portions 33 and 34 of the sight-body or frame 32.

If the elevation-adjusting wheel 42 is turned in a clockwise direction (as viewed from the rear of the rearm), the said wheel will act through its spiral slot 50 and the pin 5| projecting into the said slot, to raise the elevation-slide 52 and the parts carried thereby, including in the main the peep-sight member 16. As the said elevationadjusting wheel 42 is turned as described, the detent-boss 43 of the elevation-adjusting wheel detent-spring 45 will be sequentially registered with by the detent-notches 42a in the said wheel, depending of course upon the degree to which the said wheel has been turned.

Should it be desired to lower the elevationslide 52 and hence the peep-sight member 16, the elevation-adjusting wheel 42 may be turned in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed from the rear of the firearm) and when the said wheel has been turned to the desired degree, it will be retained against rotation by the detent-spring 45. When once the elevation-slide 52 has been adjusted to the desired degree to correspondingly aiect the peep-sight member 16, the tightening of the screw 39 will serve to firmly clamp not only the wheel 42 but the elevation-slide 52 itself against inadvertent and unintentional shifting.

Should it be desired to shift the peep-sight member 16 laterally of the firearm to compensate for Wind velocity 0r other factors, this shifting may be effected by turning the windage-adjusting screw 62 by means of its milled or knurled head 63.

To permit a maximum degree of depression of the elevation-slide 52, the horizontal arm 56 of the said slide is adapted to be lowered into a clearance-notch 8| formed in the upper rear portion of the rear end-wall 28 of the receiver 22 as clearly shown in the drawings.

As shown, the combined mounting-and-clamping screw 39 has an annular groove 82 formed in the periphery of its shank 38 about midway the length thereof. When the screw 39' is moved outwardly with respect to the sight-body or frame 32, as soon as the said groove 82 comes into registration with the elevation-adjusting wheel 42, the detent-spring 45 will act to force the said wheel upwardly into the said groove so that the said screw is effectively prevented from being completely withdrawn from the said sight-body 32 and thus the inadvertent disassembly of the parts is avoided. If for any reason, however, it should be desired to completely demount the screw 39 from the rest of the sight-structure, this may be elected by manually holding the wheel 42 against ed'gewise movement under the urge of the detent-spring 45 to thus permit the complete withdrawal of the said screw by preventing the said wheel from moving into interlocking engagement with the said groove 82.

By mounting the rear-sight unit to the rear end of the barrel-unit in a lmanner as is herein indicated, it is possible to provide for a maximum degree of vertical adjustment of the sight without requiring a structure which at its lowermost position of adjustment still projects above the gun structure to an undesirable degree. f

Furthermore, by mounting the sight-structure in the manner shown and described, it is possible to provide for the necessary adjustment by means of a rugged and compact unit with the minimum likelihood ci derangement.

The invention may be carried out in other specie ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim: Y

1. An adjustable rear-sight for firearms, comprising: a sight-standard having two substantially-parallel wall-portions spaced apart to provide between them a vertical guide-way; an elevationslide having a portion extending into and guided by the guide-way in the said sight-standard for vertical movement therein; an apertured sighting-element carried by the said elevation-slide;

an elevation-adjusting Wheel operatively connected to the said elevation-slide and positioned for rotation in the vertical guide-way in the said sight-standard; and a sight-mounting member extending through the two spaced-apart wallportions of the said sight-standard and also through the said elevation-slide and elevationadjusting wheel for attaching the sight-structure to a firearm.

2. An adjustable rear-sight for firearms, comprising: a sight-standard having two substantially-parallel wall-portions spaced' apart to provide between them a vertical guide-way; an elevation-slide having a portion extending into and guided by the guide-way in the said sight-standard for vertical movement therein; an apertured sighting-element carried by the said elevationslide; an elevation-adjusting wheel operatively connected to the said elevation-slide and positioned for rotation in the vertical guide-Way in the said sight-standard; a concealed detentspring located in the vertical guide-way in the said sight-standard and pressing against the pe riphery of the said elevation-adjusting wheel; and a sight-mounting member extending through the two-spaced-apart wall-portions of the said sightstandard and also through the said elevation-slide and elevation-adjusting wheel for attaching the sight-structure to a rearm.

3. An adjustable rear-sight for firearms, comprising: a sight-standard having two substantially-parallel wall-portions spaced apart to provide a vertical guide-way between them; an elevation-slide having a portion extending into and guided by the guide-way in the said sight-standard for vertical movement therein and provided with two guide-anges respectively located on each of its opposite sides, the said guide-anges jointly embracing one of the spaced-apart wallportions of the said sight-standard; an apertured sighting-element carried by the said elevation-slide; adelevation-adjustng wheel operatively connected to the vsaid elevation-slide and mounted for rotation in the vertical guideway in the said sight-standard; and a sightmounting member lexte'nding through the two spaced-apart wall-portions of the said sightstandard and also vthrough the said elevationslide, and elevation-adjusting wheel for attaching the sight-structure to a rearm.

4. An adjustable rear-sight for rearms, comprising: a sight-standard having two substantially-parallel wall-portions spaced apart to provide a vertical guide-way between them; an elevation-slide having-a tang extending into and guided by the guide-way in the said sight-standard for vertical movement therein and provided with two guide-flanges respectively. located on each of its opposite sides, the said guide-flanges jointly embracingvgne ofthe spaced-apart wallportions of 'the said sight-body; an apertured sighting-element carried by the said elevationslide; an elevation-adjusting wheel operavely connected to the said elevation-slide and mounted for rotation inthe vertical guide-way in the said sight-body; a concealed detent-spring positioned in the vertical guide-way in the said sight-standard and pressing fthe said elevation-adjusting wheel edgewise in the said vertical guide-way; and a sight-mounting rriember extending through the two spaced-'apart wall-portions of the said sightstandard and also through the said elevation-slide and elevation-adjusting wheel for attaching the sight-structure to afirearm.

5. An adjustable rear-sight for firearms, comprising:'.aTsight-standard having two substantially-parallel wall-portions spaced apart to provide a vertical guide-way between them; an L- shaped elevation-slide comprising a verticallyextending tang apd a horizontally-extending sight-carrying -zarr'n'g the said tang extending into and guided` by fthe-guide-way in the-,said sightstandard for vertical movement therein; an apertured sighting-element carried. by the horizontal arm of the said elevation-slide; an elevation- `adjusting wheel operatively connected to the tang them; an elevation-slide having a vertical tang provided with a vertical guide-ilange on each of its respective .opposite sides for embracing one of the spaced-apart wall-portions of the said U- shaped sight-standard, the said elevation-slide also including a horizontal arm olsetting from the said tang; an apertured sighting-element carstandard; and a sight-mounting screw extending through the two spaced-apart wall-portions of the` said sight-standard and also through the tang of the said elevation-slide and through the said elevation-adjusting wheel for attaching the said sight-structure to a rearm.

7. An adjustable rear-sight for attachment to the receiver of a rearm, comprising: a stationary sight-standard; an elevation-slide carried by the said sight-standard with capacity for vertical movement with respect thereto and comprising a vertical tang, a horizontally-offsetting sightcarrying arm projecting forwardly from the vertical tang, and a pair of spaced-apart vertical fingers upstanding from the said horizontally-offsetting arm and located forwardly of the respective opposite side edges of the vertical tang; a windage-slide mounted between the upstanding lingers of the horizontal arm of the said elevation-slide; a

`sighting-element carried by the said windageslide; an elevation-adjusting member operatively connected with the vertical tang of the eleva-tionslide to shift the same verticallyand a winclageadjusting screw carried by the upstanding lingers f the said elevation-slide and operatively connected to the said windage-slide for shifting the latter laterally across the said elevation-slide and forwardly thereof.

8. 'An adjustable rear-sight for firearms, comprising: a sight-standard provided with a vertical guide-way; an elevation-slide shiftable vertically in the guide-way of the said sight-standard; an apertured sighting-element carried by the said elevation-slide; an elevation-adjusting wheel operatively connected to the said elevationslide and positioned for rotation 1n the vertical guide-way in the said sight-standard; an attaching-screw extending through the said sightstandard, the said elevation-slide and the said elevation-adjusting wheel, and providing a bearing for the rotation ofthe latter, the said attaching-screw being provided with a stopshoulder; and a detent-spring carried by the said sight-standard and pressing the said elevationadjusting wheel edgewise to interpose a portion thereof in the path lof movement of the said attaching-screw to retain the same against undue axial movement.

CARL G. SWEBILIUS.

:ried by the horizontal arm of the said sightvas 

